State of Everett 2020
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CITY OF EVERETT State of Everett 2020 Jan. 16, 2020 Mayor Cassie Franklin Thank you, Amber and Maddy, for that wonderful introduction, and for kicking off our program this morning. I am pleased to have such smart and engaged young women leading the work of our new Youth Advisory Board! Attending a Leadership Launch event last year gave me the inspiration to put the board together. Leadership Launch is a nonprofit dedicated to mentoring young people to help them succeed in school and become future leaders. I was incredibly impressed with the young men and women I met there. They not only underscored for me the importance of involving youth in City decisions and forming a youth board; they also worked together with me to make it happen. I’m proud to now have 17 very dynamic and remarkable young people volunteering their time to advise me on important initiatives in our city. A big thank you to the representatives of Leadership Launch. And again, thank you, Amber and Maddy, and all of our youth advisory board members, for your leadership! I’d also like to thank Patrick and the Economic Alliance for putting on this event, as well as Bill McSherry and the Boeing Company for sponsoring, and again thank all of our elected officials for being here today. I’d especially like to acknowledge all seven of our City councilmembers who joined us here today: Council President Judy Tuohy and Councilmembers: Scott Bader, Scott Murphy, Jeff Moore, Paul Roberts, Brenda Stonecipher and Liz Vogeli. It is an honor to work with each of you. I appreciate your partnership, commitment, and willingness to roll up your sleeves and do the hard work. And I’m very grateful to lead this beautiful city together with you. I’d also like to take a moment to recognize our City team. I often tell people that one of the things that has impressed most is the dedication of each individual who works for the City of Everett. Our team members are true public servants. Day in and day out, they go above and beyond to ensure our resident are well cared for and our City is able to continue to provide essential services especially during inclement weather. Thank you! Finally, heading into the holiday weekend, I think it is important to acknowledge the legacy that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. bestowed upon our nation. Dr. King was a true leader of all people who never chose fear, but always chose courage and determination when tackling difficult challenges. He maintained a vision for a diverse America where all people were truly equal. Now, it is as important as ever to hold his ideals in our hearts. As I mentioned, today I want us all to have the future in mind, which is why we began by sharing the video of Everett’s younger residents. A big thank you, by the way, to Pipa Escalante from the City’s communications team for producing that wonderful video, and thank you to the bright young people who participated in it! Today is about engaging our youth and creating a brighter future for them. It’s hard to listen to the news these days and not get overwhelmed by the negative things going on in our world: devastating wildfires in Australia, unrest in the Middle East, and increasing divisions in our society. But these kids give me hope. And hearing their passion and vision for the future, reminds me that the things we do, or don’t do, will have consequences for them. I want to do my part to make their positive vision for our City a reality. I may not be able to deliver on making Everett “nice and sunny” all the time, but I am committed to ensuring this city is welcoming, inclusive, safe, and “awesome,” as Lianne in the video says. And that we are a city that cultivates opportunities for everyone - especially our youth - to rise, thrive and succeed. So, my remarks today focus on what we are doing, and planning to do, to shape our city for them. I will also talk about the challenges we continue to face, the tough choices we need to make, and how we, as a community, can and must work together to ensure Everett remains strong, grows sustainably, and maintains a high quality of life for all who live, work and learn here. Page 2 of 18 I will focus on the four following areas: • A better future for all • Collaboration and partnership • Economic and cultural vitality • And sustainable and effective government A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL Let’s start by talking about what a better future for all looks like. I believe that government’s most important job is keeping our community safe. We are working hard to address crime, homelessness, and other safety challenges. And, we’ve made considerable progress. In early 2018, I issued a directive to reduce gang and youth gun violence, and the City stood up its first stand-alone gang response unit. The results so far are very encouraging: • Gang-related cases are down by nearly half compared with 2018 • Crime rates along Casino Road have also dropped • And, importantly, young gang members are discovering that they have other options As an example, our Gang Response Unit told me they are currently working with four teens who reached out to them, asking for help in leaving their gang. With support from our officers, now all four of these youth have reduced their criminal justice contacts. And two are actively back in school, working hard to get back on track and graduate high school. We’re seeing positive results in other areas, as well. Between 2016-2018, violent crimes in Everett decreased by more than 20 percent. And property and burglary crimes are down as well. Additionally, Everett Police received the number one clearance rate in Washington State when compared with the top 10 most populous cities. High clearance rates means crimes are being solved and arrests are being made. Page 3 of 18 I’m proud to note that Everett Police officers are also among the best trained in the nation and I want to be sure we keep it that way. I aim to provide Everett Police with the resources needed to continue delivering superior service. Everett Police now has a fully-staffed bicycle unit and were able to add both a motorcycle officer and recruiting officer this past year. We also trained staff on implicit bias, procedural justice and trauma- informed care. And, just last month, we started piloting body-worn cameras. This year we will also revive our community police academy, after a very long hiatus. The academy builds relationships between residents and Police with the goal of reducing neighborhood crime. The academy, along with the Chief’s Community Advisory Board, provides feedback on police programs and policies to ensure best practices, and build trust and mutual respect in our community. Working in collaboration with our police department is our prosecutor’s office, which aims to ensure that justice prevails. Last year our prosecutors handled more than 3,000 cases. Our prosecutors work diligently to protect the community from domestic violence abusers, dangerous drivers and other criminals. I’d like to thank Chief Templeman, the Everett Police, the prosecutor’s office as well as our municipal court judges, for your dedication and service to keeping our community safe. Thank you. No community is without its challenges, however, and Everett is not immune to some of the growing national problems affecting cities everywhere. Wealth inequality, the opioid epidemic and untreated or undiagnosed behavioral health issues are fueling the rise of homelessness across the country, including here in Everett. That said, we remain ahead of many of our peer cities. We are deploying resources on multiple fronts to address this challenge and we’re getting results. One example is our Community Outreach & Enforcement Team, which pairs police officers and social workers to reach out to people in need and connect them to resources. Since 2017, our embedded teams have connected nearly 800 people to mental health and chemical dependency services, and helped more than 360 find housing. A member of our team shared a story, which I’d like to share with you: A young veteran who was living in his vehicle and struggling with substance abuse was referred to our team. This young man had experienced trauma, suffered from anxiety, and didn’t know how to get help. Our team connected him with veteran’s services and mental health care, and helped place him in treatment for his addiction. When he was ready, our team helped him reunite with his family so he would be surrounded with more support. He is now home with loved ones, sober, and currently connected with veteran’s support services. Page 4 of 18 It’s stories like this that show how we can make a difference, one interaction at a time, and truly help turn a life around. In addition to this program, we’re working to create more housing solutions for those living without permanent shelter. In 2019 we welcomed the opening of several supportive housing projects in Everett, including Cocoon House’s HUB, HopeWorks Station and Clare’s Place. Together these organizations have added 170 units of supportive housing to our city. We also partnered with Snohomish County, United Church of Christ and the Salvation Army to open a winter shelter. In just a few months, the 60-bed shelter has already served more than 400 people. Last year we launched a Cars to Housing pilot program in partnership with Interfaith Family Shelter and Cascade View Presbyterian Church.